Latest news with #GershAgency
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
AUCC's 3rd Year of Spike Lee Fellows Announced
ATLANTA, July 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Atlanta University Center Consortium (AUCC) joins Oscar-winning director Spike Lee and The Gersh Agency in announcing Season Three for the Spike Fellows at Gersh program. The program is dedicated to transforming the entertainment industry landscape by creating equitable job opportunities and access for talented students from Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, and Spelman College. This year's fellows are Anwar Karim – Morehouse College, Denver Edmonds – Spelman College and Miya Scaggs – Spelman College. The program nurtures creative undergraduates with interests in the entertainment industry from the AUCC, allowing students to be placed in New York or Los Angeles to complete a fellowship working with industry experts. Fellows were selected based on a list of criteria including grade point average, leadership, school involvement, creative work, and professional recommendations. Students participate in the eight-week immersive paid learning experience consisting of an agency-wide departmental rotation to include senior-level industry mentoring, curated off-site learning moments, and volunteer service projects. Since its creation, the program has gainfully employed 100 percent of students who have participated in entertainment industry careers with Gersh, Netflix, Warner Brothers, and Range Media to name a few and inspired one fellow to attend graduate school at the University of Southern California and major in Film. Students have also had the opportunity to be a part of a multi-year partnership with Ralph Lauren furnishing business attire and the chance to network at the inaugural Young Black Hollywood Mixer, gracing the red carpet and earning Deadline's Best Red Carpet and Party Photos of 2024. "The Spike Fellows Program continues to provide an invaluable experience and mentorship for our students who desire impact in the entertainment industry, both in front and behind the camera," said Dr. Michael Hodge, Executive Director of the AUCC. "Each year, we see a new set of students immersed in the industry, becoming working professionals and aspiring entertainment leaders." About the AUCC The Atlanta University Center Consortium, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit corporation under the laws of the State of Georgia, formed in 1929 to operate on behalf of its member institutions–Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Spelman College—is the world's oldest and largest association of historically Black colleges and universities. The Consortium is a vibrant intellectual community with a long tradition of scholarship, service, and community engagement. CONTACT: Teresa D. Southern, tsouthern@ 1-478-320-7753. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Atlanta University Center Consortium
Entrepreneur
21-07-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
How Blanco Became a $20 Million Fashion Brand
Matt Sinnreich is the founder and CEO of the golf and lifestyle clothing brand Blanco. Launched direct-to-consumer in March of 2025, Sinnreich says Blanco is more than just a business to him. "I'm the guy obsessing over the cut of every shirt and dressing every model on the set of a photoshoot," he told Entrepreneur. "This brand is personal. It reflects how I live, how I think, and I want it to be an extension of me." Sinnreich credits Blanco's success to a combination of uncompromising quality and scrappiness. "The first six figures of revenue in this venture came exclusively from social media posts, phone calls, and text messages," he says. "No ads, no PR — just doing the best I could with what I had." The brand has grown considerably since, and is now represented by the Gersh Agency and partnered with several A-list collaborators. Here's his best advice for entrepreneurs looking to bring their passion project to life. (Answers have been edited for length and clarity.) Please give the elevator pitch of your business. Blanco is a modern golf and lifestyle brand that aims to bring country club attire to the public domain. We focus on fit and quality material, and we stay away from logos, gimmicks, or overthinking. The aesthetic is clean, the fit is tailored, and the mission is simple: bring elevated, functional style to guys who want to look good and feel good without trying too hard. What inspired you to create it? I've been lucky enough to work in multiple industries, some at larger scales than others, some successful, some not. I've worked in film, real estate, beverage, biotech, and investing, but golf has always been a constant for me. It's where I process things. Where I connect with people I love. Over the years, I have always found it difficult to find quality, functional country club attire. I noticed that the majority of the clothing worn on the course just didn't feel right. Too many prints, cheap materials, the fits were off, or the brands were trying too hard. The "aha moment" wasn't an explosion—it was more like a slow build of frustration. Then one day, when I just couldn't find a single T-shirt or polo I wanted to wear, I thought, why can't someone just get this right? Then I realized, I'm someone… and like everything in life, if you want it done right, do it yourself. Blanco came from that space. Related: 'Build Because Something Is Missing': These Serial Entrepreneurs Share Their 'Single-Product Philosophy' for Standing Out in a Crowded Market Please tell us one "holy @#$!" business moment — something you didn't see coming. When I was getting ready to launch Blanco, I did an accounting of how much personal cash I had invested and how much more it was going to cost me to grow the brand to profitability. I had a baby on the way, a very expensive lease coming up for renewal, and a refi that needed to get finished that would dramatically change my financial situation. I remember being awake for days on end: What if I don't even sell one pair of pants? What if no one likes this brand? What if, what if, what then it hit me: What if it all works? What if everyone loves this brand and you solve a problem for millions, and this surpasses your wildest dreams? I leaned into that thought instead—and so far, it's been amazing. How have strategic partnerships and brand ambassadors factored into your growth? I get asked this question a lot lately—probably because of the strong lineup of athletes and celebrities who've joined the Blanco team. But really, it all goes back to the idea of doing the best you can with what you have. It started small. I reached out to my best friend, Ryan Phillippe, and asked for his thoughts. He helped me finalize designs and validated what I was doing. As I developed more styles, I began reaching out to other friends for feedback and to gauge interest. That brought in guys like Danny Amendola, who's been an incredible partner from day one. Once I had that support, I knew I had to invest seriously in the brand. The aesthetic had to match the caliber of people backing it — guys who've spent years building their own identities and brands. That effort created a snowball effect, bringing in the rest of the Blanco roster — including Willie Robertson and actor and country club legend Galen Gering. We've got a few more big announcements coming soon. What's your advice for entrepreneurs looking for funding? This is an important one. Too many entrepreneurs think they need funding and investors. You don't. If you don't have people who will immediately back your idea, it means you need to prove yourself. You do that by being scrappy and getting creative. You do the best you can with what you've got. You have to figure out how to make your business work, even if that means turning $1,000 in revenue a month to prove a system. Then refine. Then scale. The illusion of raising a ton of money to make your "business dreams" come true is not a good plan — the entrepreneurs who do these big raises without a proven model usually have a great track record or found a way to make money that's indisputable. If not, they almost always fail. Related: This Entrepreneur Quit Her Corporate Job to Start Her Own Agency. It's Projected to Make $31.5 Million in Revenue This Year. What have you learned about entrepreneurship since you launched? The pain and sacrifice it takes to forge something great is a necessary step. You have to be strong. You have to be willing to push past your limits, put aside your comforts, and overcome your biggest fears. You have to be willing to make great sacrifices to forge something great. Not everyone has the stomach for it. When I was in my 20s, I failed for this very reason. I didn't understand how hard you must fight to be successful. The stress and pain will change you permanently. But, once you cross that threshold, you won't have to look for capital — it will come looking for you. And when that happens, be smart and strategic about if and when you take money — and most importantly, who you take the money from. What does the word "entrepreneur" mean to you? I think aspiring entrepreneurs should really understand that they control their reality. No one else does. Your business will become whatever you make it. No one is going to do anything for you. Entrepreneur, to me, really means master of destiny. Any parting words of advice you would give an entrepreneur reading this? One thing that's really stuck with me is this: Anything you're not changing in your life, you're choosing. That line changed the way I think and live. Change is uncomfortable, but it's also the only way forward. If something isn't working — your life, your habits, your mindset — you have to take accountability. If you're not actively changing it, then you're choosing it. Related: How This Retired Marine Co-Founded a Healthy Snack Food Company That Is in 2,000 Stores: 'I Thrive in Chaos.'
Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Michelle Trachtenberg's boyfriend breaks silence five months after her horrific death
Michelle Trachtenberg 's boyfriend has finally opened nearly five months after her tragic death. Talent agent Jay Cohen, 63, took to Instagram to show some appreciation to his closest friends and family for their support in the wake of the actress' death at 39-years-old. On Wednesday, Cohen shared a post to maker a milestone anniversary for his health when he was asked by a commenter to 'talk' about Trachtenberg. He simply replied: 'One day soon! Im very sorry [heartbreak emoji]' Another user apparently pointed out that it was 'not cool' to ask Cohen about his late girlfriend but he gracefully replied: 'Thank you, it's OK comes from the right place. Michelle was loved by so many.' The original post was to commemorate 26 years since he received a life-saving kidney transplant from a 'selfless' donor according to UsWeekly. Cohen had written: 'We as human beings need to find a way to love and help all people in need. 'The divide must stop. Innocent lives should not be part of status quo war casualties, or politics, all people deserve the right to live In Peace.' Trachtenberg had been romantically linked to talent agent Cohen since 2020. They would compliment one another on social media frequently. He is a partner and head of film finance and distribution at the Gersh Agency as Trachtenberg signed to the talent agency in 2014. After his partner's passing, Cohen originally told that 'the family will not be commenting on the tragedy.' Meanwhile, back in April her cause of death was finally been revealed nearly two months after her tragic passing. The Gossip Girl star is said to have died due to complications from diabetes mellitus, according to a statement from the New York City 's Office of Chief Medical Examiner. Officials cited lab results in declaring their findings to It was not immediately clear if the entertainer, who had struggled with health issues in the timeframe prior to her passing, had type 1 or type 2 diabetes. In the timeframe prior to her death, Trachtenberg underwent a liver transplant, a procedure often sought out by people who have severe liver issues, with some as a result of longtime alcohol use (the most common reason people get liver transplants in the U.S., studies show). Trachtenberg's cause of death was classified as 'natural,' medical examiners said in their latest report. Trachtenberg's relatives had past cited religion as a reason why they did not want the results of her autopsy made public. Authorities with the New York Police Department told in February that they were summoned to a Manhattan apartment in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood, where Trachtenberg was 'unconscious and unresponsive.' Following Trachtenberg's tragic passing, authorities told about the course of events that unfolded. 'On Wednesday, February 26, 2025, at approximately 08:01 hours, police responded to a 911 call of an aided individual at 1 Columbus Place, within the confines of the Midtown North Precinct,' police said in a statement,' police said. They added, 'Upon arrival, officers observed a 39-year-old female unconscious and unresponsive. EMS responded to the location and pronounced the victim deceased. 'Criminality is not suspected. The Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death. The investigation remains ongoing.' Trachtenberg generally was not one to speak publicly on her private medical battles. Trachtenberg - who got her start as a child performer - was best known for her roles on the shows Gossip Girl and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, alongside Blake Lively and Sarah Michelle Gellar, respectively. Trachtenberg portrayed Georgina Sparks on Gossip Girl opposite Blake Lively's character Serena van der Woodsen from 2007-2012. Prior to that, she played the role of Dawn Summers on Buffy The Vampire Slayer from 2000-2003 opposite Gellar. Trachtenberg was fondly remembered by her peers as news spread of her premature passing in February. Gellar used a line from the series to mourn her fallen peer on Instagram. The actress who played Buffy on the series, wrote, 'Michelle, listen to me. Listen. I love you. 'I will always love you. The hardest thing in this world, is to live in it. I will be brave. I will live… for you.' Lively, who has made headlines for her legal battles over the film It Ends with Us, said of her late costar. 'You knew when she entered a room because the vibration changed. Everything she did, she did 200%.' Lively, who is wed to actor Ryan Reynolds, said that 'the world lost a deeply sensitive and good person in Michelle. She wrapped up her statement in saying, 'May her work and her huge heart be remembered by those who were lucky enough to experience her fire.' Other former costars who paid memorial to the late star included Melissa Joan Hart, James Marsters, Chase Crawford and Rosie O'Donnell.
Broadcast Pro
17-02-2025
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
Saudi Media Forum 2025 to gather global media leaders in Riyadh
Alongside of The Future of Media Exhibition (FOMEX), SMF25 will serve as a premier platform for industry innovation, networking, knowledge sharing and collaboration. The Saudi Media Forum 2025 (SMF25), the specialised media event in Saudi Arabia, will return for its fourth edition from February 19-21, 2025, at the Hilton in Riyadh. Bringing together top media professionals and innovators from around the world, SMF25 will serve as a key platform for industry discussions, networking and collaboration. International thought leaders participating in the forum include Karen Bailey (EVP, STARZ), Roy Ashton (Partner, Gersh Agency), David Abraham (CEO, Wonderhouse Studios), Amanda Palmer (Founder, ArtCinema), Alastair Lewis (CEO, FIPP), Jacqueline Bierhorst (President, World DAB), Bob Leighton (SVP, Global Liberty), Randi Kleiner (Founder, SeriesFest) and special guest The Rt Hon Boris Johnson, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Held alongside the Future of Media Exhibition (FOMEX), SMF25 will showcase emerging technologies, investment opportunities, and industry innovations shaping the future of global media. Attendees will explore advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), digital content creation, Esports and sustainable media practices, reflecting Saudi Arabia's ambition to establish itself as a global media hub. Aligned with Saudi Vision 2030, the forum aims to drive strategic media partnerships, investment in emerging technologies and the development of Saudi media talent. SMF25 will also feature business matchmaking sessions, innovation showcases, and investor roundtables, fostering industry growth and transformation.
